Have extra trim clips on hand in case they break when removing

Performance Gain:

Refresh the look of your doorsill

Complementary Modification:

Replace both sides at the same time

The doorsill is trimmed by two separate pieces. One covers the inner doorsill, and one covers the outer doorsill. The outer doorsill trim runs along the bottom of the body, trimming out the vehicle exterior. There is also an interior trim piece for the sill that covers electronic control modules and the hood release handle.

These pieces wear out over time, usually because of weather and wear and tear. The sill trim finish becomes tarnished and scratched from entering and exiting the vehicle. You can replace the trim pieces separately. Be sure to have trim clips on hand. For the exterior trim pieces, mounted to the doorsill and the body, see our tech article on doorsill molding replacing.

You may have to remove this trim to replace your hood release cables or an electronic module.

Avoid marring the trim. Work with a plastic prying tool or wrap a screwdriver tip with masking tape before prying out trim panels, switches or electrical accessories.

Keep in mind that when your car was serviced before, parts may have been replaced with different size fasteners used in the replacement. The sizes of the nuts and bolts we give may be different from what you have, so be prepared with different size sockets and wrenches.

Protect your eyes, hands and body from fluids, dust and debris while working on your vehicle. If you're working with the electrical system, disconnect the battery before beginning. Always catch fluids in appropriate containers and properly dispose of any fluid waste. Recycle parts, packaging and fluids when possible. Do not work on your vehicle if you feel the task is beyond your ability.

Vehicle models change and evolve, as they grow older, so the vehicle shown in our illustrations may vary slightly from yours. If something seems different, let us know and share your info to help other users. Do you have questions or want to add to the article? Leave a comment below. When leaving a comment, please leave your vehicle information.

Figure 1

The doorsill is trimmed by two separate pieces. One covers the inner doorsill, and one covers the outer doorsill. The outer doorsill trim runs along the bottom of the body, trimming out the vehicle exterior. There is also an interior trim piece (red arrow) for the sill that covers electronic control modules and the hood release handle. The left side seat is shown removed. It is not necessary to remove the seat, but it does make the job easier.

Now remove the sill trim. Feed the front section out from around the hood release handle (red arrow). Install the sill trim by reversing the steps. Be sure to replace broken clips and align them with the body bores before trying to engage them.